


Thasmin OneShots

by TheRainbowFox



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Awkward Dates, Bisexual Female Character, Bonding, Clothing, Crushes, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cute, Developing Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Family Fluff, First Kiss, Fluff, Minor Injuries, Oblivious, One Shot Collection, Past Lives, Pre-Relationship, Romantic Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Stargazing, Suits, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2019-10-07 09:20:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17363324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRainbowFox/pseuds/TheRainbowFox
Summary: Just a collection of various cute ideas my brain has come up with about Thirteen and Yaz bumbling their way through the whole 'what even is this' stage of relationships.All PG, maybe there'll be a first kiss in here





	1. Flatpack Furniture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor is still really sorry about breaking Graham's chair (Post-Resolution) but is pretty clueless about flatpacks and asks Yaz for help.

“Right, here we are then. January 5th. Pretty sure anyway. TARDIS did say she was going to behave this time.”

 The Doctor flung open the doors of the TARDIS and looked out outside, before nodding her head. Graham, Ryan and Yaz soon followed behind. Everything looked the same, which was a bonus really.

 “Parked her…outside this time. Because, y’know, sorry Graham. I really didn’t mean to cause such a fuss last time, honest.”

 Ryan tucked his hands into his coat pocket as he stepped outside, looking around a bit before his eyes settled on his granddad’s house. True to her word, the Doctor had placed the spaceship on the grass verge opposite, still looking very sheepishly at the ground. Graham soon followed, not quite prepared for the brisk chill in the air. For once, he was actually glad to be going home. He turned towards the Doctor, a kind smile on his face. He wasn’t too bothered about what happened last time, well, sort of. Just another thing to get used to.

 “It’s alright Doc. Thanks though. See you tonight I hope?”

 Everyone had been allowed to go home for some down time, to try and get over what had happened recently. Emotions were running high, and the Doctor really was trying to make sure her fam were alright. Especially Ryan and Graham, they’d had the tougher side of things recently. Yaz propped herself against the faded blue door frame, waving the two boys off with a sigh. She didn’t really want to go home. Not that she didn’t miss her family, she just really didn’t want another game of twenty questions with her mom about where she had spent New Year’s.

“Yeah. Of course. Promise I won’t run off without you again. I’ll drop Yaz off and be back before you know it!”

 As Ryan and Graham made their way inside the house, the Doctor ushered Yaz back inside and let the doors close behind them. She fiddled with the controls at the console and smiled as the TARDIS whirred off to her next destination. Not that far away at least, but still. It made her feel sad. Sure it was only a day, but she felt lost without her fam by her side. As the TARDIS came to a stop, she felt herself pausing. Hands lingered on the console, staring into the central column. After a second, the Time Lord spun on her heels and skipped back over to the doors.

 “Right then, here we are. Back at the flats. I’ll swing by later and come pick you up first. I’m sure the boys won’t mind. Probably won’t even notice. Don’t forget you can just call the TARDIS if you wanna come back sooner. I’ll always answer my Yaz.”

 For some reason though, Yaz wasn’t moving. She was still leaning against the other side of the console, looking out into the world. Which wasn’t the normal thing she would do, and that made the Doctor worried.

 “Yaz? You alright?”

 She walked back over towards her companion, hands in pockets, with a sympathetic smile. Yaz looked up and smiled back, shaking her head. Why wasn’t she going home?

 “I really appreciate you giving us all some time and all. But I was just wondering if…”

The Doctor tilted her head to one side, eyes scanning over the younger woman. She was fighting back a request. Or, something at the very least. Was she going to not come back? Did she not want to be around the fam anymore? Did she not want to be around her? Yaz could see the Doctor’s face scrunching up as she thought a million questions and placed her hand gently on the side of her arm.

 “Before you even say it; no, I’m not leaving. I don’t know why you’d think that. Not going to give all this up any time soon.”

 ‘Especially not you…’

 “I’d just, rather stay here. I won’t get in your way though, if you want to do your insane tinkering with the TARDIS or whatever. Pretty sure my family won’t miss me for another day.”

 It took a few seconds for the words to sink in, but eventually the Doctor smiled wide and jumped on the spot. Time with Yaz was the best. Honestly she couldn’t think of anything better herself.

 “Oh, brilliant! I could use your help with something actually. Stay right here. I’ll be back in a tick. Really.”

 Before Yaz could even contemplate a response, the Time Lord had bounded off into the corridor of the TARDIS, coat flapping behind her. Rolling her eyes, the young woman walked over to the doors, taking a final look outside. One more day really wouldn’t hurt. As she closed them, she heard slow footsteps and the sound of something being dragged across the metal floor. As she made her way back to the console, the Doctor poked her head out from behind the wall, hair tussled and smiling wearily.

 “I wanted to get Graham something to say sorry for what I did to his chair. I honestly didn’t mean to squash it. TARDIS never normally does that, don’t know why she decided to this time. Think it was because we were in a hurry. Anyway, I tried to get him a new one, but I got sent this instead and I have no idea what to do with it.”

 Rambling on, the Time Lord huffed as she dragged a flat box into the centre of the room. She dropped it with a loud thud, wiping her forehead on the sleeve of her coat. Yaz was amused at how quickly the Doctor had become dishevelled, but was also deeply curious about what she had dragged in. The box itself was rather plain, save for strange symbols marked on the front. Apparently it was also rather weighty.

 “Uh, Doctor, what have you dragged in?”

 Eyes followed the Doctor around the room as she haphazardly hung her coat up on a nearby coatrack. Hands on her hips she gestured towards the box.

 “It’s a chair. Or, it’s supposed to be. I think it broke in transport or something because this really doesn’t look like the picture. Even the box is flat. No idea what happened there. I was wondering if maybe you could figure it out. You’re a clever girl. I’m too old for this.”

 Yaz crouched down onto the floor, looking over the box carefully. It didn’t take long for her to work out what had happened, and she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. It was just too funny and sweet. All the knowledge in the universe and the Doctor had been stumped by a box. The Time Lord made her way over, crouching down very close besides her companion. Her brow furrowed as she looked between the box and Yaz.

 “What? What have I done this time? I feel like I’m missing some vital information here.”

 Wiping a tear away from her eye, Yaz stood up and helped the Doctor onto her feet, chest still juddering from silent laughter.

 “Doctor. You really have no idea what this is?”

 The Time Lord shook her head, still looking very confused.

 “It’s a flat pack. You know. You build it yourself? It comes with all the pieces and you just…put them together. More to the point, where did you even get this? Or when?”

 She shrugged her shoulders and looked towards the console.

 “When Kerblam came back, I got a message saying I could get whatever I wanted. As a one off. To say thanks for not blowing them up, maybe. Dunno. Anyway, I really wanted to get a sofa, stick it in one of the rec rooms. But then I just forgot about it. But then when I kinda sorta broke Graham’s room, I thought I’d get a chair for him instead. And when I got this box I was really really confused so I put it away until maybe I could ask if anyone else knew what it was meant to be. Still get confused by new things sometimes.”

 As the Doctor turned her head back, she caught sight of Yaz placing her leather jacket across part of the console and rolling up her sleeves. For a moment, her mind wandered away before snapping back to reality.

 “I’ll help you put it up, but on one condition.”

 Rolling up her own sleeves, in an effort to match, the Time Lord smiled.

 “And what’s that?”

 “No sonic.”

 Yaz watched as the Time Lord threw her arms in the air and gave the most childish pout she had ever seen. Exasperated nonsense came out of her mouth as she folded her arms over her chest.

 “What? I love me sonic! Aww Yaz, why not? That’s not fair.”

 The young woman walked over to the unusually agitated Doctor and tried her best to offer a comforting smile. Part of her really wanted to pull her into a hug, but decided against it. Probably not the best time.

 “I know you do, but for all we know you’re sonic will set it on fire or something. These things aren’t technology. Just wood and screws. Besides, it’s more fun doing things by hand. Trust me.”

It took a while, a little more pestering, and for Yaz to start opening the box before the Doctor came around. She took the sonic screwdriver from her trouser pocket, gazed at it, before placing it down to the side. Realistically, she’d built it from scratch. Using whatever she could find. And she could mess with the TARDIS by herself. How difficult could a simple chair be?

 “Fine. I’ll go get the toolbox. Any idea what you think we’ll need? Pretty sure I’ve got every tool in the galaxy.”

 “Can’t be anything worse than a non-sonic screwdriver and maybe a hammer. Should be good to go.”

 While Yaz picked away at the tape holding the box together, the Doctor wandered back to the console. She circled around, head looking under and around the panels before spotting the box. It had been left there from her last lot of repairs, since the whole vacuum in space incident, and was surprised the TARDIS hadn’t just poofed it away somewhere else. Triumphantly, she skipped back to Yaz and dropped it besides her with a clatter. The Doctor lowered herself onto the floor, crossing her legs and waited expectantly.

 Tearing away the last bit of tape from the side, Yaz sighed as she pushed stray strands of hair from her eyes. Her ponytail was already coming undone slightly, barely keeping her hair together. Grabbing hold of the side, she flipped half of the cardboard over to reveal several bags of pieces and parts. Leaving the Time Lord to mess around with the bags, she picked up the instruction guide, flicking through the pages briefly. It all looked very complicated. A chair couldn’t be that difficult to make. At least it had pictures.

 “Okay, let’s just make sure we have everything we need. Not sure how alien flat packs works, but half the time there’s always something missing back home. Dad likes to keep a note of all missing things so he can go on about it later. Drives mom mad.”

 Taking her eyes away from the booklet, Yaz was surprised to see that all the pieces of the chair had been laid out. Each piece was regimentally organised, and she watched as the Doctor fumbled around with a tiny bag of screws as she tried to open the bag. Evidently the Time Lord was a quick worker. And much more organised that the young woman had expected her to be. With her scatterbrain and all.

 With a triumphant ‘yes’, the Doctor took her eyes away from the bag to look at Yaz. Who, had somehow stopped talking since the last time she had tuned in. She could feel heat rising in her cheeks, praying that she hadn’t zoned out for too long.

 “Sorry Yaz. I was listening, I swear. It’s just that I saw all these things and I had a really bad urge to open the bags and to look at things and I’m really sorry if I should have left it alone. Couldn’t help myself.”

 Yaz let out another laugh, and it was like music to the Doctor’s ears. It was surprisingly infectious and she couldn’t help but chuckle herself. Although, she had no idea why they were laughing, but it felt right. Not like she had messed up, or done something socially unacceptable like usual. Once the laughter died down, she emptied the screws onto one of the thrown away bags, muttering away as she counted them all. They were tiny little things, didn’t look anywhere near strong enough to hold up a chair.

 “Thirteen…fourteen…fifteen. Fifteen screws. And some washers, I think. That enough?”

Sure enough the box had come with all the necessary parts. One hurdle done, Yaz flipped open the instruction book to the first page and pointed at the diagram. The large picture was showing how to attach the inner rods for the back rest into the supports. No screws required, they were crossed out, just a smaller picture of a hammer. Pretty simple. Yaz picked up the bottom half of the support, watching the Doctor brandish one of the rods before noticing a potential problem. Did she trust the Time Lord with a hammer?

 “Hold this a sec, please?”

 The Doctor took the piece of wood, adding it to her collection. Yaz fumbled around in the toolbox before eventually picking out the hammer. She was amazed at just how many tools were crammed in the small box, before guessing that it was probably some kind of space magic like the TARDIS or the pockets of the grey coat. Briefly placing it on the floor, the young woman took the rod in one hand before picking the hammer back up and shuffling closer.

 “So. Just hold that in place, and I’ll hammer this in.”

 As the Doctor held both sides of the base and held it out slightly, Yaz noticed her eyes dropping and a small frown appearing. Thinking nothing of it she placed one end of the rod into the first circular hole. Steadying it with one hand, she raised the hammer up and took a more forceful swing than anticipated, jolting the Doctor and feeling her hand slide down the bear wood.

 “ACK!”

 Dropping the hammer, Yaz pulled her hand away and looked down at her fingertips. The wood really wasn’t as smooth as it appeared, and she could see a thin sliver of a pale splinter sticking out of her palm. It stung. Before she could lift her free hand to try and take it out, she saw the Doctor drop the chair back an cup her hands underneath her own.

 “Careful Yaz, you might push it in deeper. Don’t want that, then you’ll be stuck with it. I mean it would come out in warm water but that really isn’t fun. Hold on.”

 The Doctor took one hand away and fished inside one of her trouser pockets, pulling out a tiny pair of silver tweezers.

 “Always prepared, me. Now, hold still.”

 Yaz felt calloused fingers lifting her palm closer to the Doctor’s eyes, eyes widening as she watched. With the most concentrated precision, evidenced by the tip of a tongue peeking out from pale lips, the splinter was out and gone. The tweezers were then casually flung over the Time Lord’s shoulder and both hands clasped tightly around dark skin. Compared to the peril-initiated hand-holding, or the rare surprise hug, this was easily the most intimate moment Yaz had experienced with the Doctor. And it made her heart soar.

 “There. All gone. Can’t have a hurt Yaz now, can we? Although I think you might wanna leave the hammer to me. Pretty sure I got this one covered. You’re much better at keeping things still anyway, can’t keep still for a minute at the best of times you know. Any better?”

With the final question, Yaz felt the grip on her hand loosen and she reluctantly pulled away. She traced a finger over the small dot of a hole in her palm and smiled. The Doctor really was kind and sometimes a bit of an actual doctor. It had been the best decision to not go home for the day. Taking her eyes away and lowering her hand, Yaz felt herself gaze at the Time Lord before nodding her head with a wider smile. Was she blushing, or just a bit too warm?

 “Yeah, thank you. Still stings a bit but I’m fine, I’ve felt worse on duty. Pass me the chair, I’ll do you a trade for the hammer. Just don’t go knocking me away or anything.”

 “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

 During the swapping of parts, their fingers and hands brushed past each other. Both faltered for a brief moment. Yaz placed the support in her lap, keeping a tight grip on the sides. The Doctor picked up the other rods, sliding them into the holes before readying the hammer. She leant forward, blonde hairs almost tickling the tip of Yaz’s nose as she gently tapped away at each rod in turn. Again, tongue poked out between the Time Lord’s lips and the young woman found herself continuing to smile.

 ‘Building with the Doctor…very entertaining.’

* * *

 

After a few hours, and some really intense laughter, the Doctor jumped up on her feet. Nearly catching her chin with the back of a screwdriver. After accidentally screwing the back support to the leg holes, and almost breaking a chair leg, their joint crafting venture was complete. Yaz pushed herself up off the floor, heaving a sigh of relief. Her chest hurt from laughing and her hands ached, but it was worth it. Just to see the Time Lord skip around before skidding to a halt at the side of the chair. It was like she was vibrating with excitement. Crossing her arms over the top of the chair, Yaz nudged her head forward. She knew what was going to come next before it happened.

 “Go on then. I can see it in your face that you want to.”

 With no other encouragement needed, the Doctor was swiftly seated on the chair. She reclined into the back, arms falling limp at her sides as she relaxed. The curve of her shoulders caught under Yaz’s chin, and the Time Lord felt her companion relax into the contact. It had been much too long since she had worked with something that wasn’t all technological and advanced. Just a simple chair. Made with care and attention. Hopefully Graham would appreciate the gesture. She had tried to find a chair as close to the original as possible, although this one would probably need a coat of varnish or paint to liven it up.

 “Oh Yaz, this is brilliant. Fantastic even. Probably the best chair ever. Could use a cushion or something though, bit too hard underneath, but still good. Thanks for your help, don’t think I could have done this by myself. Which is weird if you think about it, seeing as I’m good at so many things, but having you around made it go by so much better. Sorry. Rambling again. But really, thank you.

 Yaz closed her eyes and hummed a response. She noticed that the Doctor was smelling more like coconut today, and she felt her head dropping against soft hair. Despite her heart leaping into her chest, she couldn’t bring herself to move. The Doctor lifted a hand and tentatively placed it around the side of Yaz’s face, stroking a stray piece of hair against her skin. It wouldn’t be too long before they had to go pick up the boys, but until then, the Time Lord was more than content to just sit still and feel at peace.


	2. Fun at the Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team TARDIS decide to go to a good old fair. But the Doctor gets a bit distracted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I broke myself with this one, couldn't stop giggling, you'll see why.

It had been a while since any of Team TARDIS had been back home. The Doctor had taken them on adventure after adventure, some safer than others. Yaz, Ryan and Graham had been pondering to themselves about ‘what time’ they wanted to go home. After a bit of searching online, Ryan found out that there was a fair going on in the spring. Graham quite liked the idea of going, not only was it quiet, it was also somewhere he used to frequent with Grace on their days out. Ryan wanted to try his hand at the games and see if his coordination had gotten any better. Yaz, while scanning through the activities on offer, found something totally perfect to entice the Doctor with.

 “Hey fam, what you all doing gathered around Ryan’s phone? Anything good?”

 A cheery voice permeated the trio’s hushed whispers, three heads lifting in unison as the blonde bounded over happily. Ryan hurriedly slid his phone into his jacket pocket, still terrified of handing it over to the Time Lord after what happened the first time. He liked his phone. A lot. Graham scratched at the back of his head with a smile while Yaz broke away and approached.

 “Just looking at when to go back home. Except, it’s not quite home, more of a…”

 Yaz found herself lost for words. How could she describe the group. Were they a family now? It felt like it. But she was unsure if it would cause offence to the boys. Her thoughts were interrupted by Graham graciously breaking the silence.

“Day out. You know, like what we normally do just…back on home turf. Not that we don’t love going to all those alien planets, Doc.”

 Ryan nodded, feeling a lot more relaxed about his personal belongings now the Doctor was distracted. But that was an understatement. The Time Lord bounced up and down, clapping her hands together and possibly even squealing a little bit through clenched teeth.

 “OH! A day out, with the fam, back on Earth. I love it! Where are we going? Is it a surprise? Because I love surprises. Only the good ones though, otherwise I really like to know what’s going on when and how.”

 As was becoming more of a regular occurrence, all four of them took their place at the console and began the less-than-orderly manoeuvres of controls. The TARDIS whirred and hummed as it travelled, and barely gave any trouble at all before it landed with a stutter. Unable to hold back the excitement, the Doctor was the first to rush to the doors and leapt outside.

 “Oi, hold up Doc! Wait for us! We can’t all be as fast as you, you know.”

 Graham quickly grabbed his coat while Ryan and Yaz calmly exited behind. It was a wonder that the Doctor was still lingering around at all. Her eyes were wide with excitement, unable to find any particular thing to pay attention to for more than a second. Whilst the boys stood together, Yaz took her place between them and the Time Lord with a smile. She wondered how long it would be before she had to employ some kind of leash.

  In the distance, the hustle and bustle of the fair was loud and inviting. It was a cross between a general flea market and an old renaissance fair, with people dressed up in a wide variety of old and new fashions. Children ran around with sugary sweets, a large number of adults crowding various beer and wine stands, general organised chaos. Still, a nice break from running around.

 “Man, haven’t been to one of these since…well, since mum.”

 Ryan lamented, before feeling Graham gently pat him on the back a few times.

 “Me and ya nan used to come here too. But come on, son, let’s go have a good time. For them, eh?”

 As the two began to walk towards the fair, Yaz absentmindedly followed for a moment before realising she was alone. Turning back, she called out, gesturing forwards.

 “Doctor? You coming? Or are you going to stand around like a statue?”

 Taken out of her stupor, the Doctor jumped up again and quickly came over, tucking locks of hair behind her ear and half burying her face into her rainbow scarf. It wasn’t like her to be so sheepish. Absentminded and spacey, yes, but not sheepish. With a smile on her face Yaz grabbed hold of the Time Lord’s hand and pulled her along. For once, with no danger looming, she could enjoy the feeling. Catching up to the boys was easy, they were lingering around one of the ticket booths. Upon approach, Ryan turned around and waved four tickets in the air. Yaz felt her hand being squeezed a little tighter.

 “Come on, slow pokes. I thought you’d be well in here by now.”

 Graham was busy reading one of the pamphlets that came with the tickets, taking a look at all that was on offer. There wasn’t much, really, but it was still nice. And it made him feel happy. Tucking it into his coat pocket, he wandered back over to the now in-tact group. The Doctor was still humming with excitement judging by her expression, and it looked like a question of how long it would be before Yaz would lose her arm.

 “Sorry ‘bout that. Don’t really know what happened. Guess I just kinda zoned out for a minute. So many things to look at and smell and feel, it’s exciting. Are you lot as excited as me, or am I being weird again?”

 The trio of companions smiled, and laughed. They were all somewhat used to the Time Lord’s erratic behaviour by now. Secretly, they hoped she would actually sleep for once or at least be less bouncy for a while. As the Doctor looked on in confusion, her attention was quickly diverted back to all of the wonderful things around her. It was taking a lot of restraint not to be the one to dive into the experience. She gently squeezed her companion’s hand again and Yaz took it as a sign to get moving.

 “Come on then, if we stay here any longer there’ll be too many people around to get anything done.”

 Ryan handed the tickets out between the others, letting Graham hold onto his in case it fell out of his pocket or got lost somehow. All four of them strode into the fair together and attempted to duck and weave past the many children running around. It didn’t take long before the Doctor had set her eyes on something she really wanted to do.

“YAZ! Yaz, look. They’ve got apple bobbing here too! Come on!”

 Without any chance to retort, save for a yelp, Yaz frantically waved goodbye to the boys as the Time Lord sped off into the distance.

 “We’ll catch you pair later!”

 Graham shouted out, barely making out an exasperated ‘okay’ before turning to Ryan and chuckling. None of them had even seen barrels of apples or whatever. Shrugging his shoulders, Ryan looked around the market stalls before spotting what he assumed was a food court. It had only been a few hours since breakfast, but the smell of fair food was calling to him. Digging around in his pockets, the young man pulled out his wallet with a cheeky grin.

 “Wanna go grab some early lunch. I’m starving. Oh, and you’re coming in on a bet with me.”

 Graham quirked an eyebrow, following his grandson through the stalls.

 “Oh ey, and what bet is that?”

 “I bet you a tenner that the Doc and Yaz end up doing something couple-y together.”

 The older man stopped in his tracks, not entirely sure what to make of the bet being placed on the table. More to the point, it was way too on the nose.

 “Ryan, you can’t go making bets like that! They’re our friends.”

 “What? You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed those two being all weird around each other. If you honestly think that ain’t gonna happen then you’ve got nothing to lose.”

 The two men settled the bet with a handshake. Ryan was smirking to himself, clearly confident about the bet. No way was he going to lose. Graham, on the other hand, was finding himself wishing he had just kept his mouth shut. Hopefully, his money was safe. More to the point, hopefully Yaz was going to survive the day.

 Yaz had lost track of events. A few minutes ago, she was with the boys. Now she was looking at a very smug Doctor, with slightly damp hair, brandishing an apple between her teeth. The guy running the game seemed to be speechless as well, having not said a word to either of them. Just watching. Eventually he managed to blink and offered a smile before inviting a group of children to have a go as well. The Doctor dropped the apple into a waiting hand, shaking her head a little as a drop of water landed on her nose.

 “There was more water in there than I expected. But still, check me and my skills out! Apple?”

 The small green apple was offered out to her, very tiny indentations piercing the skin from where the Time Lord had grasped it. Yaz’s mouth fell open slightly, gaze shifting between the fruit and very expectant hazel-green eyes. The young woman quickly weighed up her options; on one hand the apple had been in the Doctor’s mouth and that made her feel all kinds of conflicted, but on the other she knew it would be devastating to say no to her. Slowly, she took hold of the apple, offering her best smile despite feeling very warm suddenly.

 “Um, thanks Doctor.”

 Apparently the Doctor didn’t notice any of her internal panic and instead flashed a wide grin before resting her hands on her hips and continuing to look around. Now that that was out of the way, it was time to find something new to do. But with so much choice, it was hard to make a decision. The Time Lord then thought of a new idea, taking hold of Yaz’s free hand and swinging her arm slightly.

 “No problem! So, seeing as I may have kind of run off without even asking, what do you wanna do Yaz? It’s only fair. I mean, I’m up for anything.”

 Yaz still had no idea what she was going to do with the apple, but at least the question took her mind off things. She looked around the fair. There was one thing she absolutely wanted to do, but it was probably best to leave it for later on. The market stalls seemed relatively quiet and she had wanted to get her parents something as a kind of ‘sorry I keep vanishing on you’ gift. With so many different things, it would take a while to get around too.

 “How about just, looking at all the stalls. I should probably get mom and dad something, pretend it’s a souvenir. And there’s a lot of old clothing stalls if that takes your fancy.”

 Letting go of the young woman’s hand, the Doctor nodded and took a step forward.

 “Oh, I love a little shop. Or, well, market. I could get a new jacket! Not that I don’t love my coat, I really love this coat, but I used to wear a lot of jackets and I kinda miss them. I wonder if I still look good in them?”

 Memories of a tattered and burnt suit quickly came to the young woman’s mind at the mention of a jacket. Hastily, they were dismissed. The pair began their walk towards the stalls, and Yaz was shocked that the Time Lord was keeping an even pace. She didn’t speed off, and kept looking to the side to make sure she was still there. Although her attention was still all over the place. Just before the stalls, there was a pause.

 “You can eat the apple you know, Yaz. I’m almost one hundred percent sure it’s not poisoned. Wait, hold that thought.”

 Yaz felt her hand, which held the apple, being lifted up whilst the Doctor used her free hand to search around in her pockets. Within seconds the sonic screwdriver was buzzing away, flashing yellow, before being returned to its place.

 “Yep. Totally safe. No worries.”

  Their shared contact lingered for some time before the Time Lord turned and darted towards the first stall. Yaz looked down at the apple, quashed down her stupid feelings and took a bite. It was sour, much more so than she expected, but in a good way. She quickly ran over to the Doctor’s side, now more concerned about if she decided to bolt.

The first few stalls were mostly made up with general knick-knacks; little statues, decorative plates, books, whatever the owners could fill the space with. There were a few instances where the Doctor would let out approving exclamations, picking things up and looking them over before quickly moving on. By this time, Yaz had eaten her way through the apple and had broken away for a moment to throw the core away. Turning around, it took a moment to find where exactly her friend had gone, and she felt her heart stop.

 “Yaz! Over here!”

 The Doctor rose up from several stands away, waving frantically. When Yaz came over, she noticed that both arms were suddenly behind her back. Accompanied by rocking on the balls of her feet, something was clearly up. The young woman narrowed her eyes, now even more confused as the Time Lord looked away.

 “I found something. At this stall. And I know we haven’t been here very long yet and I haven’t exactly been the best person to hang around with, sorry for that, I just wanted to…”

 Her voice trailed off for a moment, finally finding the courage to look back at her companion. The Doctor twisted her arms back to the front, palms facing out and holding a small necklace. Made from gold metal, there was a star shaped charm at the front.

 “The last time I sent you lot home, Graham gave me this weird piece of plastic paper. Told me not to spend it on sugar. Not like I would! Okay maybe the thought of biscuits did cross my mind. Anyway, I kept hold of it, and found it again today. And I saw this, and I know how much you like space and-”

 Yaz tugged at the Time Lord’s coat, pulling her away from the stand into a less crowded area. She looked down at the necklace, and back up to the Doctor.

 “You got me…a gift?”

 “Yeah. That’s okay, isn’t it? Like, I haven’t done anything wrong have I?”

 The young woman placed both her hands underneath the Doctor’s own, gently cupping them together to keep the necklace in place. She watched the blonde sink her face into the woollen scarf again, shoulders rising so it covered her nose. Yaz saw her face bunching up, and smiled.

 “No, you haven’t done anything wrong. Quite the opposite, actually. I don’t think thank you can do it justice. It’s beautiful.”

_‘Not as beautiful as you, Yaz.’_

  Yaz let go of the Doctor’s hands, watching her eyes light up as her face came out from under the scarf. Taking the necklace between her fingers, the Time Lord gestured for her to turn around. As the young woman lifted her hair away from her neck, she felt warm fingers brush past as the necklace was clipped into place. Fingers instinctively reached up to twist and stroke at the metal star. Yaz turned around, still smiling. It felt like about time for her to give something back. She wrapped her arms gently around the Doctor’s body, pulling her into a hug. Ever so slightly, she squeezed, feeling arms coming around to envelope her in kind.

 “Come on, there’s something I want to show you. I think you’ll like it a lot.”

 Feeling herself being let go, Yaz took a step back holding out a bent arm. The Doctor gladly looped one of hers through the gap, beaming down at her. The two wandered away from the many markets, although there was a necessary pause a one of the clothing stalls so the Time Lord could comment on all the fashions. Yaz was amused at how much she knew about Victorian attire. It wasn’t long before the sound of the crowd was drowned away and replaced with a sharp intake of breath.

 

“No…way…You can’t be serious. Are you serious? Because if you are then this is amazing.”

 The Doctor pointed to the sign, eyes wide. Yaz just smiled and shook her head,

 “Yeah. You wanna go have a look?”

 With a sudden gasp, Yaz felt herself being dragged forward into the circle of small pens, increasingly glad that she was holding on to the Time Lord. It didn’t take long before they were both crouched down, the Doctor pointing towards a family of white ducks with amazement. Breaking free, regrettably, the young woman rose back up and headed away.

 “Stay there, I’m just going to go get some feed from the man over here.”

 The Doctor stated still, for a moment, before checking her surroundings. Yaz was out of her field of view, which meant she was on her own. She stood up and slowly lifted the holding bar away from the gate and slid between it and the fence. Lowering back down, the Time Lord carefully made her way over to the fowls, holding out one of her hands.

 By the time Yaz came back, almost dropping the bag of feed, the Doctor was sat on the ground surrounded by the ducks.

 “Yaz! Good timing, these poor girls are really hungry. Or at least that’s what they told me. I say they, meet the extended fam; Gertrude, Penelope, Felicity, Margaret and…Florence. Extended fam, meet Yaz!”

 All five ducks gave a loud quack.

 “Come on in, they won’t bite. I asked them not to. Very polite ladies.”

 Making her way past the gate, Yaz sat down besides the Doctor and handed her the large back of feed pellets. She watched in amazement as the ducks ate out of the palm of the Time Lord’s hand, finishing the handful of food off in seconds.

 “Wait. You can understand them? They just sound like ducks to me.”

 The Doctor took a larger fistful of feed into her hands, shrugging her shoulder.

 “Dunno. I think the TARDIS is having a bit of trouble translating. I can only just about make out what they’re saying. Plus, the old girl is a bit far away and doesn’t really like it when I try and talk to animals much. No idea why, but that’s just her.”

 Having had quite a large share of the feed, the ducks happily waddled off for a stretch and preen. The Doctor helped Yaz back up, wiping her hands down the sides of her coat. The ducks had been very good not to dribble, although her fingers were covered in pellet dust.

 “Bye ladies! Lovely meeting you all!”

 As the pair exited the pen, two of the ducks gave another quack before sitting down on the dry grass. The next hour was spent going around the other pens, Yaz deciding to leave the feed bag with the Doctor. Goats, pigs, rabbits, hens and a calf soon became very quick friends for the excited Time Lord. She named all of them, stroked and petted them, before letting them feed from her hands. Every now and again, Yaz would silently pull out her phone and stealthily take a photograph. She was going to have a lot of fun showing them off to Ryan and Graham when they met up later.

 The afternoon sky slowly began to darken, Yaz and the Doctor found the boys hanging out near a fire pit. They were sharing a large bundle of chips, sat together on a long bench, another bundle tucked down by Ryan’s side. Graham was the first to spot the others, waving them over and pointing over to his grandson with a smile.

 “There you are, we thought we’d lost you. Got you a snack though, if you want it.”

 Rubbing her hands together and lingering by the fire, the Doctor sighed as she sat down besides Graham, patting the spot next to her. Yaz wandered behind the bench, picking up the second bag of chips as she sat down besides the Time Lord. As she opened the paper bag and passed it over, she could feel  Ryan staring at her. Eyes travelling down, she noticed the necklace was sparkling in the light of the fire and her heart leapt into her throat.

 “Hey Yaz, I swear that you weren’t wearing a necklace this morning. It’s nice though.”

 Before Yaz could stammer out a response, the Doctor proudly puffed out her chest. Swallowing her mouthful of chips, she interjected.

 “Ten points to Ryan for observation. He’s got a good eye. I got it from one of the market stalls, from a very nice young man. I think he tried to charm me, said it would go nice with my eyes. But I told him it wasn’t for me. Said it was for the lovely Yaz. Kind of gave me a funny look then, but yeah, isn’t it great?”

 Two pairs of eyes burnt into her skin, and Yaz could feel herself slowly shrinking into herself. She took a handful of chips just to silence the groan. Graham quirked an eyebrow before a sharp elbow knocked into his side.

 “Gramps. I think you owe me a tenner.”


	3. How the Doctor Got Her Piercing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My own personal take on that staggeringly beautiful earcuff the Doctor is wearing.

After having a spent a ridiculous amount of time in a charity store, Ryan decided it was probably a good idea to head back home and see how Graham was doing. He pair were still reeling over what had happened to Grace, and even not seeing eye to eye hardly, the young man did feel bad about leaving.

 “Hey, Yaz, I’m gonna head off now. If that’s cool. Pretty sure you’ll be in safe hands. Lemme know when you’re done though, yeah?”

 With a smile and a nod, Yaz urged her friend off. Even without it being mentioned, she knew why he was leaving. Her arm was weighed down by a bag containing the…slightly cindered remains of a man’s suit. Despite being fully outfitted now, and having tried on the whole store, the Doctor was still lingering around one of the clothing rails.

 “Doctor, you coming? Pretty sure there’s nothing left in here for you now.”

 The excitable blonde bounced her head up, mouth settling into an ‘oh’ shape, before dropping the shirt she was holding and skipping over. Although her initial reaction had been one of shock, Yaz had to admit that the Doctor’s choice of clothes did suit her. It was very neutral and practical. Much like how the strange alien woman appeared herself.

 “Right. Sorry Yaz.”

 As the two exited the store, much to the relief of the attendants, the Doctor gently tapped on the shoulder of her new friend. Yaz turned her head, noticing that the blonde had scrunched her face up a little bit.

 “Question. Okay, more of a request really. I really like all those…uhm…you know, those metal things. In your ears. What are they called again?”

 The young woman lifted her free hand to one of her ears, rolling her thumb over the lobe before clocking on to what was being asked.

 “What, you mean my piercings?”

 The Doctor clapped her hands, nodding furiously.

 “YES! That’s it. Those. They’re really pretty. And I think that, now I’m a woman and all which I still can’t wrap my head around, that I should get some of those too! What I wanted to ask was, would you take me somewhere to get it done? Maybe? If it’s no trouble or anything.”

 Okay, the Doctor really was strange. Although in a sort of charming and endearing way. Yaz shuffled on the spot, checking her pockets again for her purse. She had already bought all the items that the Doctor was wearing, purely because she was the one who had told her to get new clothes in the first place. After a few seconds of checking the various compartments, the young woman smiled in response.

 “I don’t see why not. I mean, there’s a place just down the road where I got all mine done. Should be pretty quiet there too. Although this is the last thing you’re getting from me, alright?”

  She hoped the last part came out friendly, but it seemed as if the Doctor didn’t really care about any of that. She was just smiling like a child who had been told they could go get ice cream before dinner. Yaz jostled the bag around on her arm before heading off in the direction of the store. It was only a few minutes away, and it was in the direction of Graham’s house. Her eyes drifted back to the Doctor, who was still smiling as she followed a few steps behind her. Pulling out her phone, Yaz began typing a small message to send to Ryan.

 ‘Might be back a bit later than planned. Gonna be spending more money. Don’t ask.’

 With a small ring, the message was sent and Yaz could bring her attention back to the task at hand. She stopped outside the door of the shop, feeling the Doctor brush past her with a mumbled apology.

 “This is the place. You sure you want this done? It hurts a bit, and you haven’t exactly rested since…”

 Images of Grace’s funeral burnt into her mind, making her shudder. The Doctor seemed to notice her apprehension, face and smile softening. The blonde appeared much more human in that moment.

 “I’m sure it will be fine. Regeneration energy is still buzzing around, fixing things, you know? Can’t be that bad. Actually kind of exciting. Never done this before. Only ever changed my wardrobe, never…never modified myself. Except for glasses. That was fun.”

 As the Doctor rambled on again, sounding a little tired, Yaz pushed open the door of the shop and allowed the blonde to talk around her. The store itself was a combination tattoo and piercing salon, minimally decorated in a vintage style. The front desk was occupied by a woman who looked like she had just walked right out of the 50’s; curled brown hair, rockabilly dress, bright red lipstick. A young man sat near an unoccupied chair,  working away on his tattoo gun. Quickly checking to make sure the Doctor stayed close, Yaz walked up to the counter and lightly tapped on the surface.

 “Hey Anna. Back again. Not for me this time though, for my friend. You don’t happen to have anyone available now, do you?”

 The brunette lifted her head up from her papers, taking one look at Yaz before looking over to the blonde. She had never seen her regular customer bring someone else with her, ever. It was rather surprising, especially as her ‘friend’ looked a little bit older than her. Sliding over a couple of forms, and a pen, she pointed over towards a red leather sofa.

 “Hey Yaz. I think Mel is still here. Just get your…friend, to fill out the usual forms. I’ll call her over.”

 Yaz took the pieces of paper in her hand before gesturing for the Doctor to take a seat on the sofa. Once she had moved, she took her place besides her and handed the paper and pen over. The Doctor looked down at them, confused, before looking back up to Yaz.

 “What’s with the papers?”

  Rolling her eyes, Yaz took the pen back and pointed at each area individually, explaining what they all meant. The boxes were for her details, although it occurred to her that she would have to make most of it up. After all, she had no idea if the Doctor would put down anything sensible or not. Pointing to the diagram on the side, the young woman ran through the list of options for ear piercing.

 “Just tell me which one you want, although considering it’s your first one I’d just go with the lobe, and I’ll do the rest. Unless you just happen to have some kind of ID with you.”

 The Doctor patted her pockets, finding nothing but her newly build sonic screwdriver. She huffed, and apologised. Yaz quickly filled out the form, hoping that nobody would notice that it was in her handwriting. The blonde may have appeared perfectly capable of doing the paperwork herself, but it was too much of a risk.

 

_‘Jane Smith. 32. Female. Lobe, left.’_

 

As Anna came back, Yaz thrust the paperwork into the Doctor’s lap, resting her hands in her own. The blonde looked down at the papers, reading through all the very odd terms and conditions. Before she could interject about what her new friend had written down, the papers were taken away.

 “Hmm. Everything looks good. Go on through to Mel. This one of your colleagues Yaz? Don’t normally see you hanging around with someone…more mature.”

 As the two were escorted into the piercing room, Yaz watched the Doctor’s face scrunch up again as she leant into her ear.

 “Yaz, what did she mean? I don’t get it.”

 “Don’t mind Anna. Honestly I think she just means that you’re older than me. Like the people from work. Not that much though, I think.”

 With a perplexed hum, the Doctor found her attention quickly shifting to the woman sitting on the stool in front of her. She had bright blue hair, possibly a dozen piercings in various places, and a rather odd assortment of clothes. Made her feel better about her own choices. Yaz pointed to the black bench opposite.

 “Sit yourself on there. I’ll be outside. Don’t worry, Mel did most of my work. You’ll be safe with her.”

 Without a word, the Doctor sat herself down on the bench, watching her new friend walk through the doors again. This was the first time she had found herself alone since, well, since the TARDIS kicked her out. Feet dangled, barely scraping the floor as brown boots clattered against the metal legs of the bench. A weird mix of nervousness and fear danced around her stomach, made worse by the lingering tingles of the regeneration.

 She heard the sound of rubber gloves being snapped. Saw a very imposing needle. Eyes quickly darted to the floor, not really wanting to see what was going on despite being very curious about the process. The blue haired woman muttered to herself, tapping against the metal countertop.

 “Right. Jane. Form says you only want the one side done. Mind shifting your hair out of the way so I can get to your ear?”

It took a moment for the blonde to realise it was her being spoken to, jolting slightly with a nervous smile. Wordlessly shifting a mass of blonde hair behind her ear, she turned her head to the side. From outside the doors, Yaz sat on her hands and waited. She was a little worried by the fact the Doctor was giving no response to the question. Normally she would be rabbiting on about anything and everything. It was unnerving. But, the young woman trusted the piercer. She would soon know if there was any trouble.

 “Okay, thanks. Just going to put a little dot on your ear. Look in the mirror and let me know if it’s in the right place.”

 The Doctor felt the cold tip of a pen gently pressing against her earlobe. It tickled. Hazel-green eyes just caught sight of the woman moving away and took it as a signal to turn around. She looked in the mirror, still as confused as ever. She had no idea if it was in the right place or not, and her first instinct was to go and ask Yaz. But she also knew she couldn’t move.

 “Um…Yeah, that looks good. I think. Sorry, not really sure, but if you say it’s right then that’s fine with me.”

 After being ushered to turn her head back around, the Doctor heard the sound of the needle again. Instinctively, her body tensed up.

 “You’ll feel a sting, for like a second, then I’ll pop a bar in. Do you want to choose one?”

 “I guess a gold one? Again, I’m not too sure really.”

 Nothing happened for a moment, before a sharp point was touched to the centre of her earlobe.

 “Okay? You’ll be fine.”

 Sharp pain ran from the side of her skull and down her spine, causing the Doctor to ball her fists up into the sides of her coat. Sudden breath was pulled through clenched teeth and made a hissing sound.

 “Owwwww”

 Yaz reflectively found herself rising off the chair outside but soon sat down again. She remembered her first piercing, both lobes as a teenager. Her mom had to sign the paperwork because she was just a few days too young. The needle had really hurt and tears had rolled down her face. Over the years though she had just added more and more, finding the sharp pain exhilarating.

 Within moments a gold bar had been threaded through the new hole, cooling disinfectant cleaning away tiny spots of blood.

 “There. All good. Told you it wasn’t so bad.”

 Wincing a little, the blonde turned back around and looked in the mirror. Sure enough she could see the little circle of gold surrounded by sore pale flesh. A small packet was placed in her lap.

“You’ll find the care guide in there. Tells you how to make sure you don’t get an infection. Put a little bottle of tea tree oil in there too, and a voucher so you get a second bar with a discount. Go and show Yaz, show her I can do other people besides her.”

 

“YAZ!”

 The young woman rose up from her seat with just enough time to spare before the blonde collided into her with a silent huff. She turned around, repeatedly pointing at her new piercing.

 “Look how pretty it is! It’s all shiny and oh I just had the best idea ever but it means going back to that warehouse so I can get some things.”

 Mel poked her head out from behind the doors, poking her tongue out with a smile. Yaz responded in kind, before taking her purse out of her pocket. She handed a twenty pound note over to the Doctor before pointing over to Anna.

 “Before we even do anything, go give this to Anna.”

 As the blonde bounded away with her money, Yaz took out her phone and looked at the screen.

 ‘Alright, I won’t. As long as u don’t go runnin off with ur new best mate. Just be back in time 4 tea. Graham’s fallin asleep.’

 ‘SORRY RYAN! Promise we will be back soon :(’

 The journey back to the warehouse from a few nights ago didn’t take as long as Yaz remembered. Either that or she had spaced out at some point. She watched the Doctor hurry on inside, disappearing behind the plastic curtains before zaps of the sonic screwdriver filled the air. The young woman had no idea what was going on, just did what she was asked and waited. Waited for almost twenty minutes. As a few muffled oh’s and ah’s came from the other side, as well as sparks, the Doctor returned with a huge grin on her face.

 “Check it out, Yaz! What do you think?”

 Yaz squinted in the low light, wondering what she was even meant to be looking at. Taking a few steps forward, she watched the blonde lift her hand to point at her ear. Soon enough, brown eyes clocked on to what was different. Instead of the small gold bar, there was a new piercing.

 “Doctor, did you just make that? More to the point you shouldn’t be putting something new in, you’ll cause all kinds of damage.”

 Rocking back and forth on her heels, the blonde shook her head.

 “Nope! Regeneration energy soon fixed it up. Kind of worried it would have just gotten rid of the whole thing but here we are. And yeah, isn’t it great? Still little bits lying around from when I made me sonic, just threw them all together and made this.”

 Taking a few more steps closer, closing the distance to as much as she could bear, Yaz circled around to the Doctor’s side and inspected the new edition.

The bar had been replaced with what looked like another gold piercing. Two hands, maybe? It was hard to tell. A short silver chain dangled between it and an astonishingly pretty silver cuff. It was in the shape of a cluster of stars and balanced precariously on the top of the Doctor’s ear. How on earth such a dainty little thing had been made in such a short space of time was a mystery.

 “Come on, let’s go back to Graham and Ryan. Show them my cool new look. I mean Ryan saw it anyway but you know.”

 Yaz took a step back, still in utter disbelief. The blonde was insane. But in the nicest of ways. Clinging onto the bag of clothes, the young woman laughed quietly to herself as the pair walked back out into the cooling evening. Getting back to the house was a little more tedious, with rush hour traffic causing moments of chaos on the roads. Yaz was very close to smacking the horn a few times but kept her cool. Knowing her luck, the second she did that then the blonde would want to have a go too.

 

Ryan was waiting outside, having received a message prior about the two returning back. He had no idea what had happened since he left but was in no real mood to go and question either of them.

 “Alright. Come on in before Graham nods off again.”

 The Doctor happily bounded inside, rounding the corner to the lounge. She was about to call out, but just noticed that the older man was resting on the sofa with his eyes closed. With a smile on her face, she quietly went around to the dining table and sat on one of the wooden chairs. Yaz lingered in the hallway with her friend, dropping the bag of clothes near the stairs.

 “So, where you been hiding these last few hours?”

 “I’m pretty sure you’ll find out soon enough. Come on, I could really do with a sit down after today.”

 Yaz sat down on one of the chairs opposite the Doctor, while Ryan gently tapped at Graham’s shoulder. The older man jumped, eyes opening wide before he breathed a sigh of relief. He could feel his heart going ten to the dozen in his chest.

 “Blimey Ryan, way to give me a heart attack. Oh, alright Doc. Yaz. When did you two get back?”

 As Ryan took his place on the empty side of the sofa, the room fell silent for a moment as Graham realised something had changed.

 “Oh, you got a new wardrobe I see. It’s certainly…eclectic. What’s that dangling from your ear there?”

 The Doctor bounced up and down on the chair with a grin. Yaz couldn’t help but smile in response. She was clearly excited to go on about what had happened.

    “Oh, Graham, it was great. Ryan and Yaz took me to a nice little clothes shop. Tried the whole lot on. Ended up with this. I think it’s brilliant. Full of pockets. I love pockets. But then I asked Yaz if she should take me to get my ear done like hers. I mean, women wear jewellery so why not. It hurt. Still does a bit. But I didn’t really like the weird little bar thing so we went back to the warehouse and I made this from the bits I didn’t use in me sonic. Whadya think?”

 Ryan gave a short nod and quirk of his eyebrows, coupled with a thumbs up. Graham took a little longer to respond, still feeling a bit too tired, but agreed that it did indeed look nice. He let out a long yawn, stretching his arms and slowly getting up off the sofa.

 “Right, if you don’t mind I’m gonna head off. You lot…can do whatever. Doc, you’re more than welcome to have the sofa again. Grace’d want me to keep an eye  on you, I think.”

 “Thanks Graham, really appreciate it. Don’t think I’ll be staying too much longer though. Maybe only tonight. Really need to get back to finding my TARDIS. I know she’s out there somewhere. Just need to figure out how to get to her really. Probably can just use all that alien tech to cobble something together. Goodnight.”

 The trio stayed up a little longer, talking about the events that had transpired between them. Ryan attempted to question the Doctor a little more, but she was very reluctant to answer and just changed the subject. As the topic turned towards what her spaceship even was, the young man let out a stifled yawn before excusing himself. Leaving just Yaz and the Doctor.

 “See ya Yaz. Doc, once she’s gone just lock the door yeah?”

 The Doctor nodded and waved him off while Yaz looked at the clock on the wall. It had just gone past ten, meaning that her parents would have started wondering where she had run off to. Last thing she’d told them was that she was staying with a colleague whilst working on a very important new case. Her mom had congratulated her on the evident promotion, warning her again to keep safe. And yet here she was, having fought off alien invaders and sitting with the most bizarre one of them all.

 Looking back at the Doctor, Yaz rose from the chair and quietly pushed it under the table before walking over to her.

 “Listen, I need to head back home. Before mom and dad wonder what’s happened. Barely saw them before the funeral. Need to get my bearings. You won’t…you won’t leave without us, right? I mean, until we say goodbye I mean.”

 With soft eyes and a kind smile, the Doctor stood up from the chair, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 “Yasmin Khan, I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, I’m gonna need the help of all of you I think. Now go on home. I’ll get Ryan to give you a call when…when I’m ready to go.”

 The two held a gaze for a moment, before Yaz broke off and headed for the door. With a final hushed goodnight, she left. Leaving the Doctor to stare blankly into the room. Taking the generously donated sheet off the back of the sofa, she left her boots on the floor and threw her coat onto a chair. Tomorrow, she would go. But she was comforted by the knowledge that she had made some pretty good friends. The TARDIS would be proud. If she wasn’t still angry with her.


	4. Star Gazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor takes Yaz out on a date, of her choosing. Of course, she chose to see the stars. On a night filled with wonder and intrigue, can it end any way apart from happily?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally adding another oneshot to this series!  
> It also means I am back from holiday, which means more fics coming!

Star Gazing

 

“Do you think…you could show me the stars?”

 “Yasmin Khan, I will show you whatever stars you desire.”

* * *

She had made the request over a week ago now, with very little time for her wish to be made reality. However, the Doctor had turned off as many alarm systems as she could find and had purposefully dropped Ryan and Graham home for the evening. Of course, to them, Yaz was going to be sent home too. But that was far from the truth. She had set a date with the Time Lord. What she assumed was a date. Nothing had officially been said about the matter, although considering how close she had gotten with the blonde, there was little doubt in her mind.

 The request had been left vague on purpose, something simple that the Doctor would have no trouble spinning into her own design. Yaz had seen many stars, across countless galaxies and from the surface of endless planets, and yet there was still the undeniable ache for more. Her bold admission of wanting more of the universe, and by extension the Time Lord herself, was no fabrication. Despite her initial confusion, coldness and dismissal of the blonde, their relationship had come on leaps and bounds.

 For all her pondering, Yaz came to understand the hardships presented before her. Despite appearances, which were terribly deceiving, the Doctor was a sizable number of centuries older than her. She had seen more, loved more, lost more, in her own words. Words that engaged her wandering mind many times. With such age and a vast wealth of knowledge, the stickling needles of anxiety still probed her.

 

What did the Doctor see in her?

How many of those had come before?

What became of them?

 

All questions for another time. For now, Yaz simply wanted time with the Doctor. Her Doctor. The one she had secretly grown to love. Secret enough that no accusations had come her way from her friends, although their increasing amount of shared gazes and wordless exchanges had more than likely given her away. A humble fascination that sparked a crush that burned through her body and soul like a supernova. Forever set ablaze by the enigmatic beauty that was the Time Lord.

 Having finally decided upon what to wear, despite fragrant fear of disapproval, Yaz headed out from her bedroom. With a little encouragement from the TARDIS, she had found herself in a light and flowing outfit; a loose navy dress shirt, speckled with silver dots and tiny gems, coupled together with her standard denim jeans. Bordering between fancy and causal, yet undeniably comfortable, Yaz was happy with her choice. After overhearing a passing comment about a previous style, she had also decided to wear her hair down in her usual, light curls.

 Wandering the hallways of the sentient space and time ship had become second nature to her, even on the days where the TARDIS decided to mess with them. There was always a pattern she followed, one which Yaz had memorized. As the central console came into view, she found herself pausing. Heart leaping into her throat. Doubt seeping in. Before she could contemplate the cause of the sudden anxiety, she felt a hand rest against her shoulder.

 

“I like your outfit. Very fitting. To the occasion, I mean.”

 

Yaz found herself smiling at the response, turning around to meet the Doctor’s gaze. Her words, and mind, momentarily failed her as she took in the sight before her. Dressed up in a form-fitting suit, hands in blazer pockets, the Time Lord looked back at her with the softest smile she had seen to date. Her hair was slightly ruffled, tucked behind her ear to show off the beautifully crafted piercing Yaz had always been fond of. The suit itself matched the TARDIS to a tee, topped off with a dusty lilac shirt, collar open. As the Doctor quirked an eyebrow at her, only then did she realise she had been staring for much too long.

 “I…thanks. You…wow.”

 Before she could curse herself for the lack of filter on her words, Yaz felt the hand around her shoulder squeeze gently. The Doctor’s gaze turned to the wall, falling into the throws of embarrassment. Having never seen such a look on the Time Lord before, it made her choice of words less appalling. Ears picked up on the murmurs of a ‘thank you’, before she was lead towards the console.

 “So, I’ve carefully plotted out the spots for star gazing. Three of them in fact. You can either pick a number, and I’ll take you there, or we can go chronologically. And yes, contrary to popular belief, I can do things in order.”

 Yaz found herself laughing quietly as the Doctor pulled away from her, pale fingers travelling a calculate path across various buttons and dials. She always looked caught between a dance of knowing what she was doing, and making everything up as she went along. Considering that the TARDIS was telepathic, she often wondered how much of the flight manoeuvres were controlled by the Doctor herself. Yaz made her way up the doublet of small steps, eyes following the Time Lord as she rounded the central column and stopped in front of her.

 “I’ll let you do things your way. Hardly seems fun to mess up one of your brilliant schemes.”

 Resting her hands on her hips, The Doctor spoke back with mock offense.

 “I do not _scheme_. Scheming is just planning without the details being mentioned, anyway. I like to think of this more as calculated spontaneity.”

 With a flash of a grin, she was back at the console, hand hovering over the ‘main lever’ as it was affectionally called by Ryan.

 

“Shall we?”

 

Taking her place besides the Time Lord, Yaz brought one of her hands on top of the Doctor’s own, looking over at her with childish glee. The excitement set in as the lever was pushed down, the TARDIS wheezing and purring into life. Purely out of habit, Yaz found herself gripping onto one of the bars underneath the console. After a few moments, the ship fell silent again, doors opening to the outside world.

 The Doctor held out her arms, gesturing for her to go towards the door. Eager to oblige, Yaz skipped down to where the cool air calmed her active mind. For a moment, she was confused at the location. The TARDIS had landed on a hill, covered in fine grass, overlooking nothing in particular. She stepped out of the doors, realisation soon dawning. Eyes travelled skyward. A long gasp escaped her lips as she traced the countless patterns in the sky.

 “This is amazing.”

 Stars. So many stars. So many different patterns she assumed to be constellations. And no obstructions anywhere in sight. Just calm, peaceful nature. Faint, colourful trails of a nebula broke up the darkness, head soon turning back to see the Doctor leaning against the door frame. With the orange glow of the TARDIS surrounding her, she looked ethereal. Eyes alight with wonder and joy, a wide smile on her face as the Time Lord did nothing but remain silent.

 “Doctor…where are we?”

 At the mention of her name, she came closer, resting her hands inside her trouser pockets and rocking on her heels.

 “Earth. Long before you humans evolved. This is what your sky looked like billions of years ago. No light pollution, no pollution of any kind really. Just good old, natural, Earth.”

 Awestruck, Yaz found herself unable to look at the Doctor for long, eyes soon drifting skywards once again.

 “Oh, right, stay here Yaz. I’ll be back in a second.”

 

With a flap of the coattails of her blazer, the Doctor hurried back inside the TARDIS. A few seconds later, she returned, blanket draped over one shoulder and hands busy with a pale glass bottle. The large sheet of red fabric was thrown across the grass, corners smoothed down, before the Time Lord seated herself on the left side. Placing the bottle down between her legs, she patted the other side and made a short whistle.

 Yaz felt her skin prickle as she jumped, finding herself pulled out of an extensive daydream. She turned to look across the blanket and the Time Lord, offering an apologetic smile before sitting down. With legs stretched out, she reclined back on both hands, eying the bottle curiously. Pulling the cork from the top, the Doctor handed the bottle towards her companion.

 “Don’t worry, no alcohol. I know you can’t have any, and I really shouldn’t either. But this right here is…well, just try it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Cautiously, Yaz took hold of the bottle. Through the pale glass, she could see a light blue liquid swirling around, picking up speckles from the night sky. The neck was brought up underneath her nose, a strong fruit and floral smell causing her brows to come together and lips to tighten. As much as the smell was enticing, it was much too strong to take in.

 “Oh, that’s…certainly got a kick to it, Doctor. Are you sure this isn’t just perfume or something?”

 “Positive. Just take a sip. It’s perfectly safe for human consumption, promise.”

 

Putting her trust in the Doctor, not that it was an overtly difficult thing to do, Yaz closed her eyes and took a swig from the bottle. As the liquid went down, she could feel her throat warming, the sensation gently flowing through her chest. It felt like alcohol, or, more how she imagined it would be. The taste itself; an array of flavours that she could hardly pinpoint, but certainly related to the smell. As she opened her eyes, Yaz looked at the Doctor, dumbfounded.

 Everything around her suddenly became brighter, more vibrant. The Doctor was clearer than she had ever been, a faint golden glow tracing the outline of her person, her eyes shining.

 “It’s Pluverian Wine. Like I say, no alcohol in it at all, but it’s made in such a way as to enhance the senses. Mostly sight. Jump starts the neuropathways in the optic nerve and the brain. Fab isn’t it? Look at the sky.”

 As the Doctor pointed towards the sky, Yaz faltered. Again. It was too hard to tear her eyes away from the now ethereal looking Time Lord. The more she stared, the more she could see. Impossible wisdom, defined age, more endless possibilities. She was broken free from her daze by a hand against her shoulder, the one once pointing to the stars delicately tilting her chin upwards as the blonde drew closer.

 Eyes turned skyward.

 

“No way…”

 “Yeah.”

 

Ask anyone to paint a picture of the night sky, and you would receive darkness and stars. Ask anyone to paint a picture of space, and you would see a multitude of colours swirled together. To Yaz, the sky had become the best of both worlds. Inky black space was punctuated with swirls of blue, green and purple, the stars pulsating with energy and warmth. The moon was lost in the vastness, merging together like all the other celestial bodies. The hand once on her shoulder began pointing out various constellations. The Doctor recited them all from memory, regaling tales of legends soon to come.

 “Astrology used to mean a lot, back in ancient times. Same with the gods. Everything was there for a reason, and the sky gave birth to facts and science and maths and everything good about humanity. And, I have to say, that star right there?”

 Yaz felt her head being turned to one side.

 “Mira. Part of the Cetus constellation. Won’t be discovered until the almost sixteen hundreds. A pulsating variable star. Latin named. Reminds me a bit of you.”

 Regaining her own mobility, Yaz let her gaze linger back on the Doctor, trying to work out the expression on her face.

 “How come?”

 Under the influence of the wine, it was much easier to see the Time Lord blushing, a pink hue forming across her cheeks and nose as her eyes fell to the wayside.

 “It means…well, why don’t I let you look that up some time. For now, hand me the wine. I want to see the glory of the universe too.”

 Time fell away from the pair of them, along with the remainder of the wine. In the company of the Doctor, Yaz felt supremely at ease. Words flowed freely, forming questions that spanned the nature of the universe and all the wonders that the Time Lord had seen. She hung on every syllable, smiling and laughing, shuffling ever closer. Before long, there was nary any space between them, sides brushing and hands linked together as they fell into a contented silence. Yaz could feel her heart hammering in her chest, fit to burst with the intensity of her adoration and love for the blonde besides her.

 Yaz rolled onto her side, letting go of the Doctor’s hand in order to prop herself up on her elbow. She smiled, idle hand twisting itself into the fabric of her shirt.

 

“So, where to next then? I’m not sure if you can top this.”

 

Flashing a wide grin, sly and suave, the Doctor laughed.

 “Oh, is that a _challenge_? Right then Yasmin Khan, prepare to be blown away by what’s coming up next. Come on, back in the TARDIS.”

 With a helping hand, she was back on her feet, giggling as the Time lord stumbled over the blanket. Yaz offered to help carry it and the empty bottle back to the TARDIS, but was politely brushed off. With little to do on the short walk through the soft grass, and the effects of the wine quickly fading from her, Yaz quietly called out to the Doctor.

 “Why are you glowing?”

 As the Doctor dropped the blanket down by the coat rack, she paused at the doorway of the TARDIS.

 “Glowing?”

 Hazel-green eyes met Yaz with a mix of confusion and fear.

 

“You have this…golden glow around you. It’s all sparkly, and it shimmers when you move. Like, it’s part of you, but also not. Is it something from the wine?”

 “That…you weren’t there when I…so you shouldn’t be able to…how can you…I shouldn’t be…”

 

Words trailed off into a whisper as the Doctor turned tail and began occupying herself with the TARDIS controls. With the last remnants of the wine in her system, Yaz took a final look at the night sky. She would never see anything quite so beautiful about her home again, which was both magical and deflating. However, her attention quickly returned to the Time Lord as the doors silently closed behind her. The only glow around her now, was that produced from the warm lights of the TARDIS herself. Whatever she had seen, it was enough to distress and distract.

 Pushing the thought aside, promising to go back to it at a later date, Yaz made her way over to the Doctor and placed a hand on her shoulder. She felt the tense muscles relax under her touch.

 “Next up, destination number two. Hold on to your expectations, as they may be blown out of the water. I hope. Not literally. But. Anyway. Hold on.”

 The journey through the time vortex was considerably bumpier than the first, and Yaz found herself braced against one of the warm crystal columns. In contrast, the Doctor was continuing to prance around the console, twisting and turning and seemingly unable to be knocked off balance by the turbulence. With a long drawn whine, the TARDIS came to a stop, filling the room with a contented hum.

 After a few more button presses, the Time Lord seemingly glided from the console, extending a hand out to Yaz. As she took hold, her body was drawn in impossibly close to the Doctor, free hand stroking down through her loose dark curls. For a moment Yaz was almost convinced that they would break out into dance, or something else entirely, but was instead guided back towards the TARDIS doors. She could feel the blonde drop down by her ear, words ghosting into her head.

 

“Go look.”

 

 Yaz parted from the Doctor, slowly going down the few short steps to the doors, looking back for a moment before placing her hands on the doors. With little effort, the TARDIS opened up, revealing the vast expanse of space. She could see Earth, or what looked like it, in all its glory. Still and peaceful, and endlessly breath-taking. Her eyes watched clouds roll over continents, swirling, dancing, before her attention turned to the Time Lord suddenly at our side.

 “Is this Earth?”

 “Yep. Current year. Isn’t it a sight? Very rare a human gets to see it from way out here, thought it would be a treat. But, there’s actually something better.”

 With grace and poise, more than Yaz thought was possible, the Doctor sat down on the threshold of the TARDIS. She held out a hand, urging her companion to do the same. In the forefront of her mind, Yaz was convinced it was unsafe. She knew the TARDIS had some kind of special field around it that could be extended, it had been put to good use when confronted with the Dalek, but she trusted the Doctor with her life. Slowly, she sat down on the cool metal floor, shuffling closer to the vastness of the drop into space, knees pulled up to her chest for safety.

 She was much too cautious to dangle her legs over the edge like the Doctor did, at least for now.

 “Yaz, name a star. Any star. First one that comes to your mind.”

 There was a mysterious sparkle in the Time Lord’s eyes as she spoke, one that made Yaz smile. She searched her mind for stars, thinking back to the books she used to read as a child. It was much harder than it seemed.

 “Orion. That is a star, right? Sorry, I didn’t expect to be put on the spot like this. Why do you need a star?”

 

There it was again. That same, mad smile she had grown to love.

 

“Oh, you’ll see.”

 

The Doctor’s head turned back towards the TARDIS console, a wordless conversation happening between her and the ship. Yaz wrapped her arms around her knees, feeling her body shake as the police box began to move. Eyes focused back on the sights outside, watching as everything shifted further away from her. Earth began to grow smaller, tiny stars flying past in all directions. As the TARDIS stopped, her eyes widened, breath caught in her throat. A cool hand came to rest on her shoulder.

 “Yaz. Say hello to Orion. Well, technically this is Rigel. You can tell because it’s kind of blue-y white. I’ll take you to see Betelgeuse in a second, that’s the red one over there.”

 Keening forward, Yaz let her mouth drop open slightly, unable to process the sight before her. Sure she had seen the stars, the Doctor had taken them to a massive sun for New Years, but this was entirely different. These were the stars she had seen every night since she could remember. The ones she enthusiastically told her parents about on clear nights. The ones she had dreamed about. Nothing could have prepared her for the shock and awe of being close enough to watch them burn.

 The second part of their date was travelling across the stars in the Milky Way. Yaz would ponder and call out whatever one she could, and the TARDIS would take her to them, whilst the Doctor regaled her with tales a-plenty. She knew exactly who discovered them, and when, what myths surrounded them and even offhandedly mentioned naming a few of them. Whether or not the last part was true, Yaz did not care. She slowly unwound from herself, legs dangling over the edge of the faux-wooden box, smiling and laughing and full of wonder. Her body leant to the side, pressed up against the Time Lord as he hung on every word.

 

 “And this last one. This is Mira. Remember looking at it from Earth? Here it is, up close. Beautiful, as its name suggests.”

 “That’s what its name meant?”

 “I…Well…not exactly…”

 

Hazel-green eyes turned to her, Yaz feeling herself pull back as the Doctor’s hand moved from her shoulder to hold one of her own.

 “It means…”

 The Doctor leant closer, a shy smile on her face, posture softening.

 “Wonderful. Astonishing.”

 Yaz felt her mind switch off.

 “Just like you.”

 

Impulse took over. An innate desire, burning inside her, fuelling her movements. Yaz freed her hand, took both of them and buried them deep in the lapels of the Doctor’s blazer. She dragged her closer, felt their hips collide, watched her eyes widen. A knowing smile crossed the young woman’s face as she gazed deep into the endless eyes of the Time Lord.

 “Doctor, would it be possible to…maybe call this date to a close?”

 Confusion became fear as the Doctor’s body tensed.

 “Why? I mean, that’s fine, your decision, but I thought…”

 Yaz tilted her head to one side, raising her eyebrows. Waiting for the penny to drop.

 

 “… _Oh_.”

 

Their night was spent with stars, but of a different kind.


	5. Prompts I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two of my recent tumblr prompts that I'm putting here prosperity; I'm yours in every way you'll have me & Your hair was in your face

****"I’m yours, in every way you’ll have me.”** **

 

One thing had been bothering the Doctor for a considerable amount of time now, something that would not leave her head no matter what. She had tried countless things to remove the thought, to distract herself, but nothing worked. It had become so much of a problem that the TARDIS was giving off waves of concern.

“Look, it’s fine. I can deal with it. I just need more time…right? Then it will go away and everything will be back to normal.”

She knew she was lying to herself. The same thing always happened. Well, almost. Bill had at least been an exception. And Amy, eventually, that one really did thankfully fade away. And Donna, and Martha. So, really, it was only a half problem. But it was still bothering her. Sensing her frustration, the TARDIS tried to talk back, in her way of beeps and whines.

“I know, but I told myself I wouldn’t. We both know that things never end well. And I can’t do it again…it just hurts too much…”

The Doctor sighed, hands on the console as she leant her head down, eyes closed.

“If she says no…what do I do then? I can’t risk it…”

Images tugged in the corners of her mind, and the soothing presence of the TARDIS permeated her soul. There, she could see those she had loved and lost. Rose. River. Idris. Clara. They were there, smiling, filling her hearts with love and warmth. But pain soon took over as the images faded, a tear making its way down her cheek and landing on the glowing console.

 

_‘You won’t know unless you try. You deserve to love. And I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Go.’_

 

Wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her coat, the Doctor stood up and stroked one hand against the central column of the TARDIS. Her old girl was right. She always was. She loved her too, after all. With a smile on her face, the Time Lord headed down the winding corridors in search of one of her companions. A host of words spun around in her mind, aiming to form sentences, feet guiding her towards the library. As she entered the vast room, there she saw Yaz.

Her companion sat in one of the leather armchairs, book balanced on her knee as she silently read, unaware of the Doctor’s for a few moments until she spoke.

 

“Yaz.”

“Oh. Doctor. Sorry, I didn’t hear you. Are you okay?”

 

Taking a deep breath, the Time Lord crossed the open space between them, coming to crouch down in front of Yaz. She rested a hand on top of the book, gently pushing it down so the pages rested against her thigh. In her mind, it was now or never. And worst case, she could fly the TARDIS back to Sheffield and forget everything that had happened.

“Yeah. Listen, there’s something I want to say…something that scares me to my very core…something I should have said a long time ago.”

With a concerned look on her face, soon softened by a smile, Yaz took both of her hands and placed them atop the Doctor’s own, encouraging her to talk further.

“Yaz. I want to say…that I…”

She paused, words catching in her throat as her face began to feel a million degrees too warm.

“Doctor, whatever it is, you can tell me. I promise.”

With one final hard swallow, the Doctor closed her eyes and continued.

“I…I like you…a lot. Like, a lot, a lot. I would even go as far as saying love. And it really does scare me, and it’s totally fine if you don’t like me back, because I’ll just take you home and we can pretend that none of this ever happened and I didn’t just make a fool of myself by telling a beautiful young woman that I’m in love with her.”

The Doctor tried to get up to move, eyes opening as she felt the hands on her own pressing down, keeping her firmly in place. She stared deep into her companion’s eyes, watching the soft smile grow wider.

“Doctor.”

Yaz moved one hand to rest underneath the Doctor’s chin, urging her forward before leaning down to capture her lips with her own. The kiss was soft, but filled with so many emotions. As the two parted, leaving the Doctor stunned, Yaz took her other hand to cup the Time Lord’s flushed cheek.

 

“I’m yours, in every way you’ll have me.”

* * *

 

**"Sorry…your hair was in your face…thought I should move it so I could see you better."**

 

Yaz had not expected to come away with cuts and bruises, and yet she was sitting on a padded bench in the TARDIS’ med-bay. Ryan and Graham had come off slightly better, only needed to remove dust and debris with a wash. The Doctor had also succumbed to the chaos, but insisted she was fine. Even though her calves were grazed, her forearm cut, and possibly nursing a broken finger or two. And yet, Yaz watched her, scurrying around the room trying to find various bits and pieces to tend to her companion.

If anything, it should be her doing the tending.

 

The Doctor returned to stand in front of her, dragging a small table to her side. Yaz noticed the small bowl of water, several balls of cotton, and a number of other first aid related paraphernalia. She also noticed the half apologetic, half guilty stare the Time Lord gave her. Without a word, she dipped a piece of the cotton wool into the water and began to clean up the cuts to her knuckles. Yaz hissed at the contact, so very tempted to pull her hands away.

“I’m sorry.”

But she stayed, muscles tensing, watching the Doctor take the upmost care with her. Once the dried blood had been cleaned away, cotton discarded, small spots of cream were placed on the wounds. Yaz closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on anything other than the sharp pain. Really, she had been stupid in trying to help with the situation, but her police training demanded that she do something. Even if it meant being caught off guard and thrown to the ground. When she opened her eyes again, she noticed squares of gauze covering the cuts, gently being wrapped in place by bandages.

“Probably won’t be using this hand for a bit, at least, not until the cuts have healed up.”

Feeling was slowly returning to her fingers, a light tingling sensation, which was at least welcomed. The Doctor seemed to pause for a moment, leaving her grasp on her companion’s hand far longer than necessary before moving on to her back. Yaz turned herself around on the bench, stomach twisting in knots at the thought of having to pull up her shirt. The switching dull and sharp pains made her realise how necessary it was, and so she held a breath as the Time Lord hooked her fingers underneath the hem of her star patterned top.

 

“I’ll be quick, I promise.”

“It’s okay, I know you know what you’re doing.”

 

As the cool air hit her skin, Yaz lurched forward slightly, feeling the fabric cling to her back and shoulders. There was an audible gasp from the Doctor, and she was glad that seeing the damage was something out of her reach. Equally cool fingertips traced the wide bruise mottling her left side, muscles tensing in response, before coming up to ghost over the graze over her shoulder blade.

 

“He did a number on you…”

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure he won’t be speaking for a while. Not after that right hook of yours. What happened to being against violence?”

“Anything that can be fixed is fair game, remember? Plus…I…he…he hurt you.”

 

More warm cotton came to clean her wound up, taking away the dirt that had come in from the tear in her shirt. Yaz winced at a particularly tender spot that was starting to bruise under the cut, hands balling to fists in her lap. She was also glad that the Doctor could not see her in pain. Cream covered the graze, along with more gauze and some tape. Another beat of silence fell between them before the Time Lord pulled herself away. Craning her neck over her shoulder, Yaz watched as the woman untucked her blue shirt and pulled it over her head. Her eyes caught a glimpse of smooth pale skin as the undershirt rose with her, head snapping back to face the wall.

“You can borrow this until I get yours fixed. Saves walking out of here in just a bra. Slide that on, and then I’ll take a look at what else needs sorting.”

The shirt was draped across her un-injured shoulder, and Yaz took a moment to hold it between her fingers before sliding it over her head. It was awkward to move, with a half bandaged hand and a taped up shoulder, but she managed soon enough. She turned around again on the bench, lifting her head to see that the Doctor’s face was pressed into a frown. As the blonde came closer, one hand rose to slide dark hair behind her companion’s ear, fingertips brushing past her forehead and the side of her neck. Involuntarily, Yaz felt herself hold in a breath, heart hammering at the close contact.

 

“Sorry…your hair was in your face…thought I should move it so I could see you better.”

 

Whether or not the Doctor had meant for her words to come out in a way that made her swoon, Yaz had no idea. All she knew was she felt her face heating up as she stared into concerned hazel-green eyes. Pale fingers rose up again to trace under the cut on her cheek, before moving to retrieve another ball of cotton wool. With slow and deliberate care, the cut was soon washed and covered, leaving the two of them sitting side by side on the bench.

It was Yaz who spoke up first.

 

“Don’t you need your injuries helped with?”

“Me? No, no need. Can already feel the healing kicking in. Time Lord’s are made of much stronger stuff than you humans. Can’t feel much of a thing now. Also, not the first time I’ve taken the brunt of things. Had to save you lot from the sonic mine remember. Now that hurt. This? Not an issue.”

 

Yaz lifted a hand to the taped up cause on her cheek, gently pressing her fingers to the area, before trailing back to the strands of hair tucked behind her ear. She had not forgotten the oddly intimate moment, and likely would not for a long time. However, something about the simple act of having her cheek touched sparked something inside her. Yaz turned herself around to face the Doctor and took one of her hands in her own, gently squeezing it. The Time Lord looked down at their joined hands, then back up to her companion with a smile.

 

“Thank you…for looking after me.”

“No probl-”

 

Words became caught between the lips of Yasmin Khan, as she lent forward and placed the quickest of kisses to her. And just like that, she was gone, leaving the Doctor dazed and delirious.

Also possibly quite giddy and lovestruck.


	6. Cafe Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yaz takes the Doctor out to one of her favourite coffee shops, but the Time Lord seems oblivious to the purpose of the trip.

Café Date

 

It was just a silly little idea that had passed through her head, one she had accidentally spoke out loud and had thusly been dragged away for. Yaz had not exactly thought of a plan, but she was still wandering the streets of Sheffield with a very excited Doctor in toe. The weather had taken a sudden turn for the worst, most of the residents running around with coats over their heads or umbrellas in their hands. The Doctor had somehow been entirely prepared for the event, a rainbow striped golf umbrella shielding the pair of them from the heavy rain. Yaz hung off her free arm, eyes scanning the rows of shops and empty buildings as they walked.

 

“If I’d have known the weather was this bad, I would have kept my mouth shut.”

“Nonsense! Bit of rain never hurt anyone. Unless you’re on one of those planets with the acid rain…now that really smarts. Besides, I get to spend the day with you. What could be better? Hope the boy’s are enjoying their game. Can’t imagine football is fun in this weather.”

 

Yaz had unusually fond memories of playing football in all weathers, coming home covered in mud or snow, a massive grin on her face. Her mum, on the other hand, was not as amused. Especially with the amount of times she had to rope Yaz into cleaning the car with her. Pushing the moment aside, Yaz returned to focusing on finding the exact place she was looking for, pulling the Doctor down a small alleyway and pointing ahead. Tucked away in a row of old-fronted shops, was a very quaint little café. The front was decorated with hanging baskets of multicoloured flowers, white metal chairs and table covered by clear plastic sheets. Letting go of the Time Lord’s arm, Yaz ducked under the roof above the door, making space for the Doctor to lower the umbrella and shake most of the water off.

The door opened with a quiet ring, the only other patron turning his head briefly before returning to his newspaper. Both of them wiped their boots against the thick doormat, the Doctor leaving the umbrella in a convenient rack near the door. She quickly wandered over to a plush sofa that sat in the corner of the small café, letting out a contented sigh as she relaxed into the cushions. Yaz soon followed, but lingered on the arm of the sofa while she looked over at the menu.

 

“So then Doctor, what do you fancy?”

Her eyes lit up at the question, body leaning past Yaz to get a better look at the chalkboard behind the counter. It listed a wide variety of hot and cold drink, a pink arrow pointing towards the food display near the till. Cakes, biscuits and sandwiches were all lined up in neat rows, almost overloading the Doctor’s brain with choices. Realising that it was probably going to take most of the day for the Time Lord to decide, Yaz held out her hand and guided her closer to the display. The young man behind the counter gave them a quick smile before returning to his shelf sorting.

 

“Yaaaaaz, why are you making me choose? I can’t! Can you do it for me? Please? I trust you.”

Sometimes, Yaz pondered, being with the Doctor was like dealing with a small child. However, it was a completely endearing trait and she was more than happy to play up to the occasion. Gently nudging her shoulder, she gave a nod towards the Time Lord and had to stop herself from laughing as she excitedly jumped on the spot before returning to the sofa and watching expectantly. It took another few moments before Yaz had managed to settle on an order for the pair of them. She gently rapped on the counter, smiling as the barista came down off his step and turned to rest against the back counter.

 

“So, ready to order?”

“Yeah, I think so. Nit spoilt for choice if I’m honest.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. What can I get for you?”

 

After another rush decision to mull over her own choices, Yaz finally handed over her money and watched as everything was prepared. She had settled on getting a spiced chai latte and a blueberry muffin for herself, a small hot chocolate with marshmallows and a slice of Victoria sponge for the Doctor. Once the tray was prepared, Yaz made a move to bring it to the table, but was stopped with a polite hum as the barista carried it over instead. With everything safely on the table, he wished them a pleasant stay before returning to his work. Finally settling down on the sofa beside the Doctor, Yaz watched her face light up again as she commented on how everything was so pretty and well made.

 

“It’s a family run business, they make everything themselves. Food-wise, I mean. Most of the things are all manner kinds of free-from. I took my mum here once, she loved it. Never got a chance to come back because of work though.”

The Doctor paused for a moment, giving a nod before wrapping both hands around the small mug and smiling towards her.

“Yaz, you’ve got a good eye for things, and you’ve never proved me wrong yet!”

 

She took a sip of the hot chocolate, or rather gulped a sizeable amount down, before pulling back with her tongue out and pouting. Yaz couldn’t help but laugh at the sight; a chocolate moustache with a blob of marshmallow, over exuberance leading to a burnt tongue. It was so perfectly her that it almost bought a tear to her eye from the absurdity of it all. Yaz picked up one of the tissues from the tray leant over towards the Doctor, who was whining quietly to herself, before changing tact and swiping at her upper lip with one of her fingers. Whether it was from the hot drink, or from being flustered, the Doctor’s cheeks began to colour pink quite quickly.

 

“Honestly Doctor, you need to learn to either wait or blow on your drinks before drinking them. You’re gonna have no tongue left at all at the rate you’re going.”

Yaz flashed a smile before placing the finger in her mouth, cleaning it off before whispering at a pitch she knew only the Doctor could hear.

“And I’d be pretty upset if you damaged your tongue.”

 

Counting her work a success at how quickly the Doctor closed her mouth and turned to look at the opposite wall, Yaz let out a contented sigh before turning her attention towards her own sweet treat. Fork clattered against the plate as she tore away a small piece and savoured the bite. A few seconds later, the Doctor turned back around, eyes watching Yaz briefly before turning to the muffin and back again. It had become an ingrained part of their relationship, sharing food, although Yaz was keen to sit around and take her time until the Time Lord felt brave enough to broach the subject. She could hear the slight wince in her words as she spoke against her burnt tongue.

 

“What’tha goth there Yaz?”

Yaz turned the plate around slightly, showing off the golden cake and bleeding blue-purple fruit.

 

“Blueberry muffin. Why? You want a bite?”

“Can I? I’ll thrade you for thome of my cake too!”

 

Twisting the plate back around to her size, Yaz took another chunk of the muffin up on her fork. The Doctor moved on hand to take it away from her, but she merely shook her head and gestured for her to open her mouth instead. With a smile tugging on the corners of her lips, the Doctor opened her mouth and let Yaz pass the muffin between her lips, teeth pulling it away slowly. Although fruit was not something that Yaz had ever really seen the Time Lord eat, if at all, her reaction to the muffin was somewhat of a surprise. She guessed it barely even touched any part of her, besides her stomach, and judging by the beaming grin she didn’t inherently hate it either. Score one for desserts, as always. The Doctor practically hummed with joy, picking up her own fork and diving it into the thinnest corner of the cake slice.

 

“Okay, now you gotta tell me how good this one is. I mean, it looks absolutely amazing and I don’t doubt it’s good but I want you to have some before I more than likely eat it way too fast.”

Yaz placed her form back down, shuffling closer towards the Doctor until their legs brushed. Moving some loose strands of hair behind her ear, she waited for the Time Lord to bring the fork up before opening her mouth and taking the piece of cake away. Despite not usually going for the sweeter options, she could only just about manage the muffin most of the time, Yaz had to admit that the Victoria sponge had a nice tang to it with the tart jam in the middle.

“Well, you’re sweet tooth is going to really enjoy that. Maybe eat that before tackling the hot chocolate again…”

 

For the remainder of their sweet treat, neither of the spoke. Yaz found herself often distracted by watching the Doctor, only breaking away from her transfixed gaze long enough to slowly sip at her latte. Considering that most of their time was spent running and exploring, little moments of quiet were few and far between, especially ones on Earth. She wanted to savour them, keep hold of them, make memories to last a lifetime. If that meant watching the Doctor tackling a slice of cake with childlike glee, then she would do just that. Unsurprisingly, the Time Lord finished before she did, sinking further into the sofa and letting her eyes ghost over the rare few people that walked past the window of the café.

 

The rain had let up considerably since they had sat down, a few drops occasionally hitting the window, heavy drips falling from the hanging baskets and canopy roof above the door. Her attention turned back to Yaz at the sound of the fork against the tray, head turning to watch her dab one of the tissues against her lips. Her mug lay bare, save for a small rim of foam, and her plate was covered by the muffin case and an array of crumbs. Having a quiet moment away from the rest of the world had been nice, but there was something about it all that left a strange feeling in her stomach. A fluttering, twisted feeling. The Doctor simply chose to ignore it, assuming that it was just because of the amount of sugar she had eaten.

Straightening out her jeans, Yaz stood up from the sofa and took the tray in her hands, leaving it on the counter for the barista who was not presumably in the back somewhere. The Doctor moved over to the door, picking up the umbrella and pushing it open for Yaz and herself to walk through. She could not help a smile appearing on her face as the door bell rang out as they left. One hand gripping the umbrella handle, the Doctor moved more towards the covered tables and chairs, rocking slightly on her heels, leaving Yaz to look at her with a perplexed stare.

 

“Thanks for going out today Yaz. This was a great place, and I really enjoyed it.”

“Any time. Sometimes it’s just nice to get away for a little bit, you know? Plus, I’ll take any excuse I can get to take you out on another date.”

 

Yaz made a move to leave, to head back into the city centre and back to the TARDIS, but before she could do so, a hand came to rest on her shoulder. She turned her head to see the same blush colouring the Doctor’s cheeks, and wide hazel-green eyes staring at her.

 

“You…we…this was…this was a date?”

“Um…yes? Doctor…please tell me that you haven’t thought this was just a friend thing the whole time. I’ve taken you out five times now!”

 

Judging by the Doctor’s expression, there had been some serious crossed wires between the pair of them.

 

“I…but…I just thought you were being friends. Good friends.”

“Doctor, I’ve kissed you!”

“I know but…a kiss on the cheek can mean anything Yaz. I’ve seen you human women do it to your friends, your husbands, to whomever! In some cultures, it’s a goodbye thing or a greeting or just something that you do to show that you like someone at all an I never even thought tha-  mmmph!”

 

Determined to both keep the Doctor from rambling anymore about the nature of kisses, and to prove a point, Yaz moved her hands to the Doctor’s suspenders and yanked her down until their lips met in a hard kiss. When Yaz pulled back, eyes burning with both irritation and love for the oblivious Time Lord, she watched realisation wash over the Doctor’s face.

 

“Do friends do that?”

“N-no…”

“Do y’believe me now that I really like you?”

“I…um…m-maybe…”

 

She pulled her closer again, just to eye level, taking the time to bring their noses together and whisper the words across the Doctor’s reddening face.

 

“Don’t make me do that again to prove a point. I’m not a fan of public displays of affection. I like you a lot, you oblivious idiot.”

“I like you too.”

 

The response was barely audible, but it was there, and Yaz ran with it. She let go of the Doctor’s suspenders, allowing her to create enough room between them to hold out an arm for her to take. Sliding her own arm through the loop, she smiled, taking the Time Lord back on the short walk to the TARDIS. Despite having revealed her crush in the most dramatic way she had ever experienced, Yaz was more than happy to know that the feelings were mutual and that she had not wasted her time. On the plus side, she could now feel a very obvious spring in the Doctor’s step. When she turned her eyes up to gaze at her under the speckled sun, she saw a wide smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye usually reserved for the wonders of the universe.


	7. Prompts II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more prompts for you: sleepy cuddles and 13 in a previous Doctor's clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Jolivira for the first, and a combined interest from uwuttaker and fuxdeiflswued for the alt!dress

Cuddles With Yaz

 

It had been too long since she had had some downtime, far too long. Too many adventures, too many days at work, barely enough room to breathe without someone wanting her for something. Not that she didn’t love every minute of it, it was just exhausting. Ryan and Graham had already been dropped off home for the evening, while Yaz had decided to stay on the TARDIS Going home to familial chaos was not on her agenda, not again. She had arranged to have a quiet night in with the Doctor, something that had also been neglected. They had been doing a very strange dance of avoiding their feelings, another thing Yaz was tired of.

So, she planned to remedy it with a night of films and snacks.

The last hour had been spent preparing the tv room for the occasion; blankets were draped over stacks of chairs and pillows, creating a little cozy home, with the inside filled with whatever plush items she could find scattered around the ship. Along the way, Yaz assumed the TARDIS had started to help her out, as she found strings of battery powered fairy lights, fleece pyjamas, and an overly stocked kitchen for her to raid to her heart’s content. Even the Doctor needed to rest sometimes, and she was entirely too guilty of running on nothing until she collapsed at the console and had to be dragged to bed.

Satisfied with her work, Yaz left the room and set off on her search for the Doctor. She had not seen her loitering around the console room since she made her plans to stay in for the night, almost missing the sounds of sparks flying and mindless jabbering about technology she had no idea about. Repairs were evidently not on the cards, either that or the TARDIS had kicked her out of the room. Again. Her searches in the Doctor’s bedroom also came up with nothing, dark and barren, with clutter still scattered around every inch of floor space. It took several attempts of searching various rooms, before Yaz found the Doctor in one of the many lounges.

She was lying down on the pale blue sofa, legs dangling off the arm rest, book perched precariously in one hand as the other dragged against the carpet. The Doctor only moved to turn the page, or to rearrange the never-before-seen glasses that rested against the bridge of her nose. Her hair fanned out across the cushions, still matted from their running through the rainforests earlier in the day, curled and messy and practically embodying her boundless energy. Yaz waited in the doorway for a moment, taking a moment to truly appreciate the calm sight before her. As the Doctor tried to hide a yawn, she found her moment to enter the room and grab her attention.

“Mm? Oh, hiya Yaz. You weren’t looking for me or anything, were you? Got a bit lost reading up on the legends of Pherox. A load of nonsense if you ask me, I should know, I was there for most of them.”

Yaz couldn’t stop the smile that came onto her fa e, shaking her head slightly in response.

“It’s a good job you’re not an author, you’d put so many people out of business. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to watch a film with me.”

The Doctor looked down at her book, then back up to Yaz. There was a beat of silence before she spoke.

“Sure! Why not. Just gimme a minute to put this back where it belongs. I’ll come find you.”

Mission accomplished, Yaz made her way back to the tv room. Considering the Doctor had to make her way through the library to put the book back, she guessed she had enough time to change into the comfortable clothes the TARDIS had provided. Crawling inside the makeshift fortress, Yaz carefully made her way out of her still dirty clothes and into the soft pyjamas. It took a few more minutes before she hear the Doctor’s boots coming down the hallway, followed by a confused gasp. Tucking some loose hair behind her ears, Yaz poked her head out from between the blanket curtains, holding back laughter at the Doctor’s childish excitement.

“You never said anything about a pillow fort! Yasmin Khan, this is the best night ever. A gold star and ten points for you!”

Rolling her eyes at the clearly rigged system of appreciation, Yaz threw the other set of pyjamas out into the room, gesturing between them and the Doctor.

“No regular clothes allowed. You’ve got to get into those before I let you in. Oh, and the password is custard creams.”

With that, Yaz made her way back into the safety of the fort. She could hear the Doctor hastily getting undressed outside, boots clattering amongst various other noises, meaning she was able to look through the collection of films she had found. Most of them were classics from her childhood, animated or otherwise, things that helped her to relax and unwind. Choosing one at random with her eyes closed, the disc was inserted into the DVD player just as the Doctor whispered outside of the blankets.

“Custard creams.”

“Come on in.”

Slowly making her way inside, careful of not messing up the placement of pillows and other blankets too much, the Doctor settled herself in besides Yaz. Her eyes were alight with glee, looking over everything. Yaz noticed then, having failed to before, that the pyjamas the Doctor had were covered in tiny planets and stars. She brought a blanket up over her shoulders, offering the other end of it for Yaz to slip under. They sat huddled up together, the Time Lord dragging over the closest plate, quickly popping half a custard cream into her mouth with a contented sigh. In contrast, Yaz made a beeline for the popcorn, resting the bowl on top of her crossed legs.

“You ready?”

“Mhmm!”

By the time they had gotten through the first half of the film, Yaz could feel her eyes starting to droop. She couldn’t tell if it was because of the warmth of their fort, the low lighting, or the fact the Doctor was drawing patterns against her knee. Whatever it was, she doubted she would last more than two showings at best. She chanced a glance over towards the Doctor, realising she was far too engrossed in the plot to even pay attention to her. Tiredness was coming across her eyes and face as well, the stifled yawn from earlier coming out in full force. The hand against her knee shifted to rub at her eyes, before it slid under the blanket and around her waist. Soon enough, there was a head resting against her shoulder, and Yaz could feel herself going under even quicker. She moved the bowl of popcorn from her lap, taking one final mouthful, before settling deeper into the plush surroundings.

As the ending song played quietly in the background, Yaz found herself jolting slightly. She could not remember the film ending at all, somewhat irritated at herself for missing the best parts. Her movements inadvertently caused the Doctor to pull away from her.

 

“Huh? What? Aww, don’t tell me it’s over. I only shut my eyes for a second, I swear.”

“Doctor, we can watch it again another time. I think I nodded off a bit myself then…might be an idea to turn this off and lie down. Unless…you want to go sleep in your own bed or something. I don’t mind.”

With another yawn, the Doctor disentangled herself from the blanket cover, stretching out her arms.

“No, s’comfy here.”

Now free of the blanket herself, Yaz set about turning the electronics off. She pushed the food to one side, stacking some of them on top of the television unit, leaving the pile of films close by. When she turned around again, the Doctor had already made herself comfortable in the pillows. The blanket was covering half of her, tucked around her feet, and she held the other side open for Yaz to shuffle quietly into. On trips away, they had shared a bed. It had taken Yaz quite a while to get the Doctor to accept the fact she did not have to sleep on the floor. Eventually, she had conceded, but this time somehow felt different. There was no necessity involved, it had just happened naturally. It felt right somehow. Yawning herself, Yaz turned onto her side and looked at the Doctor, smiling at her half-awake stare. As she closed her eyes to settle in, there was a mumble besides her.

“Yaz?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Opening her eyes again, Yaz swore she saw the Doctor blushing.

“Sure.”

Much like with the incident in the lounge, the Doctor paused, mulling over her words and almost biting her tongue.

“Can I…can we…is it alright if we, um…”

It took a moment for Yaz to realise what the Doctor was too afraid to say, instinctively opening her arms up and giving her warmest smile. She shuffled closer towards the Time Lord, letting her slot between her arms and rest her head on her chest. One arm wound around her waist in response, fingers curling into the fleece of her top, followed by a sigh. Apparently, the Doctor was a hugger. Yaz did not care if her heart was racing, or that she was entirely too warm with the blankets and the Doctor too. Her eyes were quickly getting heavier, and it was a struggle to stay awake. Before she drifted off completely, Yaz swore she heard the Doctor whisper a ‘thank you’ into her chest, leaving her smiling.

Cocooned in the blanket fort, blankets and Yaz’s arms, the Doctor found sleep coming to her quickly. She felt safe, secure, warm. While she had never truly thought about being able to ask for something she wanted, something that was probably simpler than she was making it out to be, she was very glad that Yaz was able to read her so well and provide exactly what she needed most.

Cuddling and sleeping with Yaz, it turned out, was the best thing ever.

 

* * *

 

Dressed to Impress

 

It had been far too long since she had last taken a peek inside the vast, multi-floored wardrobe she used to adore. He used to adore. They used to adore? The lights flickered to life as soon as she entered the room, welcoming her with a warm white glow. Rows upon rows of rails lined the walls, filled to the brim with clothes from different eras and planets. But there was one floor in particular she was after, one specific wardrobe. The Doctor had found herself with an inexplicable longing, a yearning, a powerful wave of nostalgia. She had had time to process the effects of her regeneration between crashing into Cardiff and accidentally ejecting herself and her friends into space to find her TARDIS. There was also time to ponder her clothes.

When Ryan and Yaz had taken her to the various shops around Sheffield, finally settling on a charity shop of all places, the Doctor had practically begged all of them not to throw away her torn and burnt-up suit. There had been some conflict over it, especially when it came to the idea of repairing it, but she wanted it just as it was. How she remembered it. Winding her way up the spiral stairs, daring between the rails and running her hands across the clothes, she finally found the spot she was looking for.

Almost in the centre of the walkway, was a dark-wood wardrobe. It looked as if it had been plucked right out of the renaissance, which perhaps it had, she couldn’t remember anymore. The panelled doors were carved with intricate filigree patterns, thick wrought iron hinges holding everything together. There was no mirror, just two doors, shining gold handles drawing in the touch of her fingers. It sparked the longing again, memories flashing in and out of her mind rapidly. So much history was contained inside. Far too much. History better left untouched and undisturbed by her chaos.

 

The Doctor carefully opened the doors wide, allowing the light of the room to filter in. Dust motes floated from inside the wardrobe itself, scattering into the air and fading away into the ether. Her hearts ached at the sights. During the TARDIS’ time spent blinking in and out of time, she had redecorated almost every room inside her own never-ending walls. When the Doctor had first explored, the night they were reunited, she returned to the wardrobe room to find the grand object awaiting her. She almost cried the first time she was urged to look inside.

Atop the wooden rail, hung thirteen sets of clothing. All of them in chronological order. A memento to her past, to where she had come from and who they had been before. Each item sparked a different memory, a different feeling, mixing together as she trailed a hand across all of them. The Doctor often came to stare at them, to take them out and simply look at and enjoy them. She had cried, raged, been elated and giddy. Tonight, the nostalgia was strongest, enough to draw her towards actually removing the plastic covers. Her choices were vast, each outfit a signature of theirs in one life or another. He really had a thing for suits. Eyes closed and hand ready, the Doctor picked one of them at random, carefully studying it once she opened her eyes again.

“Oh, I remember this one.”

With a smile on her face, the Doctor moved towards the right hand side of the room, making a beeline for a mirror. It stood floor to ‘ceiling’, no fancy detailing or frames. Dropping the clothes neatly atop a small chest, she began to deal with her current outfit. Dusty blue-purple coat was hung atop a hook on the wall, hands moving to pull the braces off her shoulders. The most arduous task of undressing herself came from her boots, although she had found a method of tying them whereby she could just kick them off easily. Standing in just a sports bra - navy blue with gold and silver stars – and matching shorts, the Doctor turned her attention to the layers of clothing she had word many countless years ago. She had forgotten how good velvet felt; soft and silky, with a slight roughness. Completely the opposite texture to the pure silk cravat and the highly embroidered waistcoat.

“Right then.”

Several rows of shirt buttons were no match for her quick fingers, neither was the knot of the cravat. Despite the few inches off she was in terms of height, the shirt and trousers did not fit too awfully. Of course, the bottoms would thankfully be tucked into the leather boots. Considering she was used to wearing many layers of her own, there was something about the outfit that was taking far longer than usual. Perhaps part of her eighth incarnation was coming through after all, guiding her, making sure everything was exactly as it should be. It wouldn’t be a surprise at all, she had had the odd passing thought here and there she could have related to her previous selves.

Unbeknownst to the Doctor, high above the main floor of the wardrobe room, Yaz was wandering around the TARDIS. She had woken up from a short nap after her run around the gym, quietly concerned at the lack of sight of the Time Lord. Normally, they made plans to have a cup of tea together in the console room, but the Doctor had been nowhere to be found. As if sensing her distress, the TARDIS had lead her towards the grand room, doors already wide open. Yaz had never personally seen that particular room, only heard of its existence and been ushered into a much smaller one somewhere else on the ship. Her eyes scanned the room, utterly in awe at the amount of clothes contained. Not even a retailer’s warehouse would have been stocked so high. She heard shuffling noises coming from another floor, drawn instinctively towards a spiral staircase leading up there.

Not wanting to draw attention to herself, Yaz refrained from calling out, choosing instead to creep up the stairs as silently as possible. She was glad her footsteps were muffled by a plush red carpet that snaked across the steps. When she reached the next floor, Yaz stopped in her tracks. Aside from noticing an open wardrobe filled with a colourful array of clothes, she was distracted by a bouncing mop of blonde hair. Except…it didn’t quite look like the Doctor. Firstly, her usual outfit was neatly folded away to one side. Secondly, she was wearing…some kind of suit? Her eyes were distracted by the subtle sway of the dark green frockcoat, the long leather boots, and the way the Doctor seemed to dance around her reflection.

It wasn’t until the Doctor turned around with a pocket watch in her hand, supposedly intent on viewing the back of her outfit, that she caught sight of Yaz standing at the top of the staircase.

 

“I…um…hiya Yaz.”

“Doctor…what on earth are you wearing?”

Aside from the shock of it all, Yaz had to admit that the Doctor really knew how to wear a fancy suit. She watched as the Time Lord looked down at her outfit, and back up to her, smiling shyly.

“My old clothes. Well, some of them anyway. I bet I look proper daft…”

There was a tinge of sadness to her tone as she let out a sigh, hands finding their way into the pockets of the frockcoat. A comfort, a coping mechanism. Her hands came into contact with several items, but she paid them no mind. She was more concerned about the smile on Yaz’s face, which while not threatening, did make her self-conscious.

“I wouldn’t say that, it’s just…different. Although, considering you spent an entire week in the same burnt up suit, I’m not entirely surprised. Didn’t take you for a natural hues kinda person, if I’m honest. Brings out your eyes though.”

Realising the conversation had been opened up, and that Yaz was not in fact judging her harshly, the Doctor’s usual smile came back into her face as she took several steps closer and twirled on the spot.

“Oh, my eighth self…he was a right one. Didn’t intend to dress like this, it really was the first thing I found. Can’t remember why, but oh well. You like it? I do like a good long coat with pockets, absolutely essential. I guess I’ve just always been more comfortable in suits, or things like them anyway. Still. Not a patch on what I’m wearing now. Oh Yaz, you lot would have found me insufferable, at least considering everyone called me a romantic.”

She recounted her days, crossing through the timeline and alternate worlds, going wherever their heart took them. The people they met and the family they had…until everything came burning down around them. Yaz picked up on the melancholy in her eyes, coming to stand in front of her and place a hand on her shoulder. It was a nice, comforting gesture.

“Maybe you could tell me sometime. About all these people you’ve been.”

As the Doctor gave a nod, Yaz gave another soft smile before heading back towards the stairs. Just before descending, she looked over her shoulder and called out.

“Oh, and I think you’re still a romantic. It suits you. Now, come on you old charmer, Graham’s made dinner and you know what he’s like if he doesn’t eat on time. Just…might wanna get changed so the boys don’t think you’ve lost it completely.”

Just like that; Yaz was gone, leaving the Doctor standing in remnants of her past, feeling her future light up before her.


End file.
